WHO blames air pollution for 2m deaths - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that air pollution in cities across the globe is causing more than 2 million premature deaths every year. The United Nations health agency says pollution from the burning of fossil fuel is one of the biggest threats to health in developing countries. The WHO's director of public health, Maria Neira, says improving air quality will have a huge impact on health standards. "We want to reduce the level of those pollutants that are affecting very much our health," she said. The consequences are principally on infectious diseases, heart attacks, lung cancer.  "If we reduce the level of those pollutants we are convinced that we can achieve a reduction on the 15 per cent of mortality caused by those pollutants." http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1756726.htm

 

Global sludge ends in tragedy for Ivory Coast. So far eight people have died,  dozens  have been hospitalized and 85,000 have sought medical attention, due to toxic waste dumped onshore by a Greek-owned tanker leased by a Swiss trading corporation. New York Times  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/world/africa/02ivory.html
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 Vietnam  and  the  U.S.  set a new tone on the dioxin war legacy.  Brain-damaged babies and children with shortened limbs and other physical deformities are still being brought to hospitals, four decades later. Now there may be progress on cleanup. Reuters  http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP286257.htm
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Thick haze chokes Indonesia, Singapore. Thick smoke and haze from land-clearing fires blanketed large areas of Indonesia and neighboring Singapore Monday, causing respiratory distress, traffic accidents and delaying airline flights. Bangkok Post, Thailand. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=113307
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 Waterfront development tests New Jersey's handling of toxic dumps.  Dirt containing hexavalent chromium, lies underneath a new residential development. New York Times [Registration Required]     http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/nyregion/02chromium.html
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 'Safe' levels of lead may not be that safe after all. Efforts to reduce lead exposure in the United States have been a good news-bad news affair--  and the bad-news side of the ledger just got a bit longer.  ]Los Angeles Times, California. [Registration Required]  http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-lead2oct02,1,4473793.story
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 More infant deaths found to be due to premature birth. Scientists now say one-third of infant deaths are because of premature births -- a much larger  percentage  than  previously  thought.  Washington  Post   [38][related stories] [Registration Required] 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100838.html
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An unhealthy dual standard? European firms are selling unregulated medicines in developing countries, raising concerns about safety.Los Angeles Times, California. [Registration Required] 
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-ft-drugs2oct02,1,2006709.story